I'll always be there to catch you when you fall
by egyptian fairytale
Summary: A story of lust, love and tragedy,when Malfoy disovers a terrible secret about Hermione,is there anything he can do to save her?They try and escape from the awful truth,and love overtakes them both.But can he save her? please, please review.
1. Chapter 1

**I'll always catch you when you fall.**

Hermione has a secret, only Draco Malfoy manages to find out what it is. But is there anything he can do to save her from life of death and misery and how romance takes over them both.

**Chapter 1. the beginning of the end.**

**Draco's POV.**

As I leaned in towards the window I gazed out at the rain, the endless beauty of the countryside covered by a veil of water,it seemed blurred, as the train sped onwards up the track that led to Hogwarts.

I couldn't help but think about my Mother, she was the only person who ever treated me like a child when I was one. Everyone else just regarded me as a tool to fulfill the dark Lord's plan.

Now I was alone without her forever my Father banished me from the house when I refused to continue serving Voldermort and being a death eater. I had been pushed into every mistake I have ever made by him and I'd had enough.

There was an argument between us 2 weeks before the end of the Summer holidays, it had gone on for hours and I have never seen my Father more angry than he looked that night.

"You can't make me do anything, I'm not a child anymore! I am sick and tired of serving him, You pushed me down that road when I never wanted to lead it!"

He looked at me sending what seemed like a thousand daggers in my direction. His cold silvery orbs burnt holes in the floor. Biting down on his lower lip and gritting his teeth he looked directly at me.

"How dare you even contemplate speaking to me in such a manner! You should be ashamed of yourself, you're a Malfoy it has always been your destiny to be a death eater and to serve him. And as your Father it is my place to make you do whatever I see fit."

He didn't raise his voice once but his tone was foreboding. I heard my Mother trying to open the doors my Father had slammed shut to prevent her from defending me.

"You may be my Father but that also means you're supposed to behave like it. Hiding and lying to me about my destiny, ruining my childhood and disturbing and corrupting everyone who got in your way."

"What ever I did regarding the prophesy that foretold your destiny I did because it would have destroyed you and made your life a misery, and that is why I destroyed the prophesy, before you could witness the outcome."

I stared down at my feet trying to suppress the rage building up inside me. I remembered what I had seen in the glass ord that day.

My lips were pressed firmly against hers, and then tears where streaming down her alabastor cheek before I saw her lying in a river of her own blood.

I remembered the anger I was feeling and responded

"I am leaving, you have already done all that you can to mess me up and now I've had enough. I am no longer your son I was just a tool in a deeper conspiracy that has only just been revealed to me. Goodbye Father!"

I made my way to the jet wood double doors that led into the passage way where my mother was residing.

"You couldn't last five minutes in that world without me! Stop being so foolish and I will forgive you in time for your previous outbursts."

I carried on walking and did not face him when I spoke

"I do not seek your forgiveness and I can't last another minute with you the world out there does not scare me, only a world with you present does!"

I pushed the doors aside and heard the sound of glass shattering against the door as he though his glass at me.

I clenched my knuckles remembering the hotel room I had spent that fortnight in and the day I heard the news of my Mother's death. Another one of Voldermorts victims.

I vowed that day I would never forgive my Father and never serve Voldermort another day of my life.

The compartment door slid open and Blaise Zabini waltzed in retrieving his leather bag from an over head shelf before clicking his fingers in front of my face awakening me from my subconscious state.

"Oi Malfoy! We're here"

I rose from my seat and also picked up a similar leather bag and followed Blaise out of the gloomy compartment.

Moments later freed from the rabble of eager first years I stepped out onto the platform and saw her.

She was sitting on her old battered trunk with her cat languidly splayed across her lap. She stood once Ginny Weasley stepped onto the platform and I lost sight of her in the sea of heads before me.

Realising I had been standing in the same position for about five minutes and that most of the others had already begun their way to the carriages. I half heartedly made my way up the long winding path that lead to the unpredictable year I was about to endure.

About half and hour later I was sitting in the great hall with all the rest of the school waiting for the evening to end. The first years were placed into their houses,but I noticed the amount of new students was dramatically reduced.

The evening went on for what seemed like an eternity and the candles seemed to be burning brighter than ever. The constant sound of muttering, shouting and eating was driving me crazy. I needed to get somewhere quiet and fast.

I decided I had stayed long enough not be noticed when I left. I casually strode out of the great hall and descended the endless flights of stairs.

I was thankful that my Father had forgotten to dissolve the agreement he had with Snape about my private dormitory. More than ever I needed the seclusion and to be let to drown in my own thoughts and emotions about my Mother's death and what I was going to to about my recently revealed destiny.

I drew the silky curtains to a close and decided to leave the window slightly open, letting a sharp breeze abolish the intense heat of the fire that was making me sweat.

I tugged my shirt over my head and fell into the heaven of sleep, where troubles, worries and fear lay dormant until the moment of my awakening.

I awoke bathed in the silver moonlight in the confines of my bed. The emerald and silver embroidered silk fell from my skin like a waterfall as I stood.

I shuddered in the cold breeze intruding from outside, I remebered I had left the window open and strode across the room to shut it again restraining winter on the other side of the glass.

I walked away from the window and decided to get dressed. I slung my school uniform away from my clothes.

I pulled my jeans up over my legs and then started to fasten the buttons on my black shirt and then rolled the sleeves up to just above my elbow.

I stepped towards the open door and made my way down the stairs to the Slytherin common room. It was still dimly lit by candle light that just made everything visible.

I plunged into the dark green couch and gazed upon the fire that was glowing,desperate to be revived. My eyes waltzed over to a small mahogany table, that had about four books resting on the top of it.

The first book was encased in a black leather cover with a silver buckle preventing the coffee coloured pages from breaking free. The spine of the book had "The History Of Famous Slytherins" written across in a Gothic silver type face.

The second book was red and had gold writing splayed across the side reading "Gryffindor and Slytherin the Eternal Conflict". I didn't need to look any further before I realized that these were the books I had borrowed from the restricted section of the library over the holidays. I propped myself up when I realised they were due back last night, normally I wouldn't have worried but books borrowed from the restricted section had to be returned on time,otherwise I would suffer an hour of detention.

I swept the books under my arm and rushed out of the porthole and down the antique staircase. As I reached the penultimate flight I could see the passage that led to the library, it was amerced in golden light which meant someone was already in there. I crossed the entrance hall and followed the light down the narrow passage.

When I came to reach the large oak door It was leaking a bright light from the library, which lay on the otherside of the door and I could hear quiet sobs,so figuring it wasn't a teacher I decided to enter.

So I wouldn't disturb the person inside I quietly opened the door and crept to the nearest bookshelf, not wanting to be immediately noticed. I casually leaned on the bookshelf and turned to look at the person huddled over in the corner.

Whoever she was, she had long brunette hair that was rather untamed and messy, her skin was an ivory colour and tears were spilling over her closed lids. I coughed to make my presence known to her.

Her lashes fluttered open and she gazed at me. It was Hermione,

"What are you doing here Malfoy and w...w...what do you want?"

Her voice was slightly shaky and uneasy as she was obviously trying to barocade a river of tears from breaking free

"What's wrong Hermione?"

She looked taken a back by the fact I had referred to her by her name and not Mudblood or Granger.

She stepped back before she spoke

"What do you care? leave me alone"

The years of torment I had inflicted upon her suddenly came flooding back into my mind, and unless I was going to reveal my true feelings for her I would have to keep an heir of subtlety in my concern.

"I was just curious to know why you are crying and why are you down in the library this early in the morning"

"I could ask you the same question"

"Well I was returning some books that were due back yesterday"

She flinched at my blunt and simple explanation to her question.

" Well you hate me anyway so why should you care where I am or what I am doing?"

I felt so sorry for her, she looked so vulnerable. Harry and Ron had been gone for months searching for horcruxes and she didn't really have any other friends, apart from Ginny and Mrs Weasley had not permitted her daughter to return to Hogwarts this year,due to the severity of the times.

"I don't hate you"

I hoped my voice sounded sincere but I knew my few words provided little antidote to the fact that years of hate and conflict said otherwise.

Hermione let out a high pitched laugh.

"Oh well I suppose that all those years you attempted to make my life a misery are only recolectable to me at this current point in time. Forgive me, my mind seems to have put me under the false pretense that you have called me a mudblood, nearly everyday of my life and that you would leave me to die in a ditch at any given opportunity!"

Her voice was not loud or angry but merely sounded as if she was giving a lecture on the evidence that pointed to her being right, about the fact that all these years were proof of my hatrid for her.

"Ok Ok, you have made your point. But I am not the git I used to be"

Her face scrunched up in confusion of the fact that I was admitting to the fact that I knew I had been a git.

I knew I couldn't at this point in time let her know why I had forced her to endure spitefulness and cruelty from me at every opportunity, but she would find out one day and maybe just maybe it would make her see me in a different light.

"I don't know why I am even talking to you, I am wasting my time, just finish what you are here to do and leave me in peace!"

It was evident that it wasn't just my presence that had been upsetting her and I wanted to know the reason for her distress, and I wasn't leaving until I did.

"Tell me what's wrong? I am not leaving until you do"

"Well then you will be here a long time, because I am not going confide in you of all people!"

I loved the tenacity in her words as she spoke, she was one of the most confident girls I knew when it came to standing up for people, but not so good when it came to standing up for herself. Her words were confident and defensive but her tone was meager and uncertain.

She moved to turn away from me and her cardigan slipped from her shoulder. That then revealed a maze of bruises smattered all over her ivory skin that had clearly not been the result of an accident, but inflicted by force.

She quikly returned the cardigan to it's original place over her shoulder. But now I knew something that she clearly didn't want me to know. When she checked to see where I was looking she saw me staring at her shoulder.

"Look what you saw... it's nothing, just forget about it"

I was worried and angry to know that someone had been hurting her and that worry was visible in my voice when I spoke.

"How did that happen Hermione? Who did that to you?"

She shuffled around to meet my gaze and as she did so another maze of bruises was revealed to me, that wondered all up her legs and she pulled her skirt back down to conceal it from me.

"Why do you even want to know? Nobody cares about me and no one has even noticed until know"

I wanted her to know that I cared and I wanted to help.

"Hermione, tell me."

Her voice became tearful and distressed once again

"I can't tell anyone"

With that she fled the room and I could he her footsteps running up the stairs.

I was going to find out who was doing this, maybe not with Hermione's assistance but I was going to find out. I slipped the books onto the desk and made my way back to the Slytherin common room, my mind now swimming in possibilities and motives that people would have for abusing Hermione.


	2. Chapter 2

**I will always be there to catch you if you fall**

**Summary**

Hermione is the subject of abuse and with no one to help her but Draco Malfoy,who has now left home and has requited the dark ways finds himself uncover feelings for Hermione, that were always there but feelings that he could never bring to the surface. As romance blossoms between the two Hermione is about to relive her worst nightmare.

SECRETS REVEALED

**Three Days Later**

It was a cold afternoon and I had not been concentrating all day, just going over and over in my mind who was the person responsible for Hermione's bruises.

Ugh! The day had been do extremely boring and exhausting. I had had double quiditch practice and countless exams because it was test week.

I was plodding down the dark hallway through the Dungeons and I paused because I had heard something drop behind me. I turned to see my wand lying on the floor and I bent down to pick it up. I heard Professor Snape's classroom door open and to my astonishment a tear stricken Hermione fleeing the room and running down the hall in the oposite direction.

Snape had been the one responsible and this made me even more angry, because he was a teacher and was supposed to be trusted and have some sort of moral conscience.

Then the voice of reason returned to my hipothesis, I couldn't base all of this just on the fact that I had seen Hermione coming out of his classroom crying, I needed more than that. But it was enough evidence to suspect Snape.

I decided to make my way up to the Great Hall, to Dinner where I knew Hermione would be. I made my way through the large doors and slowly approahed the Slytherin table, trying to find Hermione in the crowd of Gryfindor heads that lay before me.

I saw her then sitting next to Neville Longbottom. Her hair was more messy than usual and she was trying to tame it with a band that had been wound around her wrist several times.

I sat down next to Blaise Zabini, luckily who was sat in a seat that was facing Hermione. Then I saw the proof I needed, There was blood running down her leg and a fresh set of bruises that had not been there, before she had been in Snape's classroom, because I had been sat behind her in the class before and they were not there then.

She had realised the blood running down her leg and quickly wiped it away with a piece of tissue, and noticed me watching her. She caught my eye and her eyes seemed to say stop watching me it's nothing. But I knew it was something, I just needed to find out exactly what and why.

I knew all the evidence pointed it to being Snape, but I still needed to prove it,by witnessing what was going on, if there was anything going on, myself.

Hermione left the Great Hall after hadrdly eating anything at all. I could not understand why no one else had noticed how sad and almost scared she looked, I mean in all fairness they new her a lot better than I did, but it was oblivious to them.

I watched Hermione as she walked out and saw Snape capturing her in his penetrating glare. It was almost pertifying the way he watched her but she did not see it as her back was turned to him.

I finished my food and decided to make my way back up to my common room aswell. When I arrived back I pulled several books from my leather bag and layed them down on a nearby desk, that had one of the green study lights already on. I pulled out my quil and started on my Charms essay.

Two hours I had been pouring over these boring pages and skiming through everything. I finally finished after what felt like two years more than two hours. I gathered the eight pages I had written and folded them into my text book, put everything back in my bag and made my way to my dorm.

I quietly walked into my dorm being careful not to wake the rest of Slytherin. I relaxed into the comfort of my bed and suddenly everything about Hermione and Snape flooded my mind once again.

I lay there for what felt like an eternity, going over and over in my mind why Snape would do something like that, until I finally fell asleep and lost all concept on the matter... until morning.

I awoke to find the common room practically empty, with only Zabini still present, rushing to finish his charms essay that I had done last night. I went back into my dorm and stretched out across the bed and slowly strode over to where my school uniform was.

I then went out to the balcony that looked over the common room again.

"What's the time Blaise?"

"It's about 5 minutes to nine"

I suddenly jumped to attention in shock

"Are you bloody kidding me Blaise? Are you unaware of the fact that lessons start at nine? Your not even dressed yet!"

He looked up at me casually as if he didn't even care and carried on with his delayed homework. I pulled on my school uniform grabbed my bag left the common room and rushed down the staircase being careful not to trip as the stairs were almost vertical and not forgetting they could move at any given moment.

I stormed into the classroom panting and completeley exhausted. despite my best efforts I was still 5 minutes late.

"How kind of you to join us Mr. Malfoy, please talk a seat!"

McGonagall was covering the Charms classes for the first two weeks of term and she was not in a good mood. I felt sorry for Zabini because he still wasn't here and had not done the homework.

"I trust you have homework for me Mr Malfoy?"

I grabbed the eight pages that were folded off centre and handed them to her in a careless sort of manner. Knowing I had done more work that necessary, so she couldn't start having a go at me now.

"Thank you"

Her voice was still cold and displeased but at least I wasn't going to get a detention for being late.

We were half way through the lesson and Zabini still hadn't made an appearence, he was in for it.

Then the door opened quietly and I saw him sneak in, trying not to be noticed and I think I only saw him because I was sat at the back. He took the seat next to me and gathered his books from his bag and set them down on the desk, then he leaned over to see what page we were on.

I couldn't believe he was going to get away with this, he could be truely brilliant when he wanted to be. But my admiration for him didn't last long when from the back of the classroom I heard her voice echo towards him

"Blaise Zabini you are more than half an hour late, do you think it is acceptable for you to wonder into my lesson when it is simply convenient for you?"

"Bloody hell she had her back turned to the door the whole time, how did she see me?"

Blaise muttered to me under his breathe.

"No Professor"

"Good, because if it happens again I will be speaking to your head of house... Homework?"

Blaise pulled out the meager two pages he had managed to scribble down in very large writing to fill up the room. He handed it to her and she looked back at him like it was some sort of joke.

"So where is the rest of it?"

he shuffled uneasily under her leathal gaze.

"That's it"

She pursed her thin lips into a sharp line and looked at him like he was a piece of dirt.

"Well I am sure you will be eager to re - do it on Saturday morning in detention. 15 pages at the least!"

Blaise groaned and kicked the desk infront of him, accidentily missing the wooden frame and hitting the girl infront. It was Hermione and she jerked round in pain and he had kicked her in a place where she had a bandage wrapped around her leg.

Blaise didn't apologized, he didn't even notice or care.

Hermione didn't look at either of us, not expecting an apology in the first place.

It had been such a boring day and potions was our very last lesson and I was going to see if I could find anything out about Snape. If I found out he was abusing her it would take every bone in my body to prevent me from ripping him to shreds.

We were all seated and then Snape entered the dungeon, a gush of wind flew in as he oppened the doors but he quikly slammed the doors behind him.

He strode up to the front and perched on the seat behind his desk and got our an old,battered text book.

"Turn to page 125!"

There was a rattling of papers as everyone fumbled around getting their books out of their bags and then finding the right page. Hermione was sat across the classroom from me I could see her easily. She already had all her books out, flicking through to find the page.

Snape droned on and on about something or other, to be honest it was so dreadfully boring I lost interest all together. I was just about to drop off when the bell rang, awakening me from my sleepy stance.

Snape was mid way through a sentence but no one cared, as soon as they had heard that bell they were out of their, not wanting to be in his boring presence for a moment longer. Then Snape slammed the doors shut with his wand making some people jump in shock.

"Miss Granger would you stay behind please? There is something I wish to discuss with you."

I saw fear invade all of her features as she tried to think of an excuse.

"I.. I have already agreed to speak to Professor McGonalgal at quarter past four"

Her voice was shaking and it was evident to me but no one else was listening, they were just talking amongst themselves.

"Well it won't take that long and I am sure you will still be there on time for professor McGonagall."

Hermione desperatley tried to think of something to avoid it but she couldn't think of anything and she couldn't just leave because there were about 35 other students blocking the doorway.

"Good"

Snape's voice sounded pleased but there was an heir of malice in his voice as he said it.

I was going to find out what was going on now, no matter what I had to do. I glared viciously at Snape but he didn't notice.

He waved his wand and the doors re-opened once again and everyone stampeeded out the doors. I must have been the last one to leave and before I left I saw Hermione slowly approaching Snape.

I left the room and I just heard Snape slam the doors shut behind me with his wand and then silence fell.

I hid in a small stoney alcove for just a moment and then crept back up to the door and heard Snape uttering spells under his breath. I pulled out my wand from my bag and made a spell that allowed me to see through solid objects without anyone else seeing me.

"Contartum preludion"

Suddenly it was like a mirage was being born right in front of my eyes. I could see everything that was going on, on the other side of the door.

I could see Hermione standing right up by Snape, at his large wooden desk.

"What did you want Professor?"

He laughed sounding cruel and malicious.

"I think you know what you are here for"

Hermione quickly turned and began to run towards the door and I leapt back in anticipation of her coming out of the door at any moment but then I heard Snape utter another spell, a spell only used to inflict pain.

"Crucio!"

Hermione fell to the ground and hit her head on the cold stone floor and she began to writhe in agony.

I slammed my whole body against the doors in an effort to save her from Snape. But It was like the door had turned to stone. My efforts were'nt noticed by Snape or Hermione.

There was absolutely nothing I could do to prevent Snape from doing whatever he had planned for Hermione.

It was now more clear than ever that my true feelings were coming to the surface. I had loved Hermione since third year. It wasn't of my choosing to be so viscious to her all these years and now there was nothing I could do to help her.

It broke my heart to know that she would probably never return my feelings for her, due to my previous behavior.

All I could do was to continue watching. Snape was standing over Hermione and kicking her in the stomach. Her head was now bleeding due to her fall.

Why was he doing this to her? I was once again banging on the door but to no avail. There was nothing I could do to stop it.

Then Snape picked Hermione up and carried her over to his desk. She was struggling to break free from his iron grasp. He slammed her down on the desk and pinned her arms behind her slender back.

What happened next was the most horrific thing I think I havr ever witnessed. Hermione was still tossing beneath him trying with all her might to break free.

Snape pushed her grey skirt to up around her waist.

I didn't want to believe it but I knew what was going to happen. He then ripped her blouse open. I couldn't watch it was to fowel and disgusting.

I turned away with my hands over my ears trying to prevent the sounds from inside the classroom from reaching me. I must have been standing there for about 5 minutes before I reluctantly returned my gaze to the classroom.

I saw Snape zip up his fly and then shove Hermione off his desk and she crashed down on the stone floor. He then kicked her once more but she didn't move at all, she just lay there.

Snape made his way to the door and I backed away but then he paused and turned around.

"remember what will happen if you even think to breathe a word of this to anyone"

I saw Hermione close her eyes and a single tear run down her face. I backed away from the door and waited around the corner until Snape had left.

Hermione soon followed, her hair a mess, eyes still drowning in tears and blood dripping from her forehead.

I didn't think she should find out that I knew what was going on like this, she would be ashamed. I felt sickened to my very soul that anyone could hurt her. She may not know it yet but I was in love with her, and Snape would pay dearly for the scars he left.


	3. Chapter 3

I knew she had to know that I knew, but how? I mean she didn't really see me as a friend even though I wanted to be more than that.

She wouldn't just talk to me, I would have to ambush her when she was least expecting it. How could she possibly not tell a teacher?

There was something going on and I was going to find out what it was. Why would Snape do this and why wouldn't Hermione tell anyone?

I paced slowly towards the Great Hall thinking and wondering on my way. I was the only one in the entrance hall everyone else was inside at dinner.

I decided not to eat anything I still felt sick. I walked past moaning Myrtle's bathroom and to my horror Hermione ran straight into me coming out of the door.

Bowing her head trying to conceal her tears, she was also clutching the back of her head where she had been bleeding.

"Sorry..."

She muttered the words and they were barley audible through her stutters.

She began to walk away very quickly but I grabbed her arm, I just couldn't let her go back up to an empty dorm and sit by herself after what had just happened.

She looked at me confused now revealing her tears. But she had no anger in her expression.

"What are you doing?"

I pulled her back inside the bathroom where I knew no one would be apart from Myrtle and luckily she seemed to be down one of the drains.

She made no effort what so ever her arms languid and limp. She was much smaller than me when I looked down at her.

"What do you want Malfoy?"

I pulled her around out of view if anyone entered the room.

"I know what's going on"

She looked up at me through her damp lashes in almost fear, searching my expression to see if I actually did know or if I was talking about something else.

"I saw..."

The words stung in my throat as I saw her face. Tears began to pour over the edges of her eyes. She turned and headed for the door in an attempt to escape.

"Hermione wait!"

I approached her and pulled her back around her small stony alcove.

"Malfoy all you have come to do is laugh and make fun of me, just let me go."

I was shocked at her response. I never thought she would think that badly of my character

"Hermione, I would never do anything like that. How could I...what I saw I tried to stop it"

She clasped her hand over my mouth. Her skin felt soft and smooth but I could smell the blood on her hand from where she had been clutching her head.

"I...I don't want to ever talk about it with anyone. You can never tell a soul"

I looked at her. She looked so defenseless and vulnerable.

She removed her hand from my mouth.

"I understand, I won't talk about it anymore."

"anyway why do you even care? Why do you all of a sudden care about me?"

I wish I could tell her. I wish how I could tell her everything about my Father, the prophesy and Voldermort. But I knew it was not the moment for me to tell her. I decided to answer he question.

"There is a reason and a cause for everything whether it be the one you think it is or not.

I rested my hand in hers with leaving a piece of paper behind me reading meet me in the astronomy tower tomorrow at 11:00pm, please be there I am not the person you think I am.

With that I left the room and Hermione as hard as it was I knew I had to. I headed towards the Slythering division of the castle, still rooting my feet to the steps in front of me so I wouldn't go back to her. Tonight would be one of the hardest now knowing what had happened and that she was alone.

**The next day**

I was feeling incredibly drowsy as I walked into the Great Hall for lunch. I walked over to my table and searched for Hermione in the ocean of faces before me, moments later I caught her eye sitting alone and pushing her food around her plate.

She looked at me as if to say stop staring, I tried to give her a sympathetic look in return as I turned around to sit down.

I stared over at Blaise who was sitting opposite me shoveling spoon fulls of mashed potato into his open mouth.

"What's out last lesson Zabini?"

He stopped shovelling in the food, reluctantly and opened his timetable.

"Potions."

My heart stopped, Hermione was in that class as well. If Snape asked her to stay I would have to prevent it or stop it somehow.

I decided there was nothing that I could do at the moment and started eating. I wanted Hermione to know that I wasn't going to let him do anything at all and that she didn't have to worry.

The lesson before last seemed to go so fast to my utter dismay. We were all on our way to the dungeons before you could blink.

Everyone was in their seats and I made sure that I had a seat right behind Hermione. But she didn't look round at me probably knowing what my expression would be.

Moments later the charcoal robes billowed in through the open doors and rippled in the draught until he sat down at his mahogany desk.

He pulled out a set of books from the top draw of his desk and layed them down on his desk. Snape had that kind of penetrating stare, he never greeted us like most of the other teachers, But he was cursing at us with his eyes.

He flicked to one of the old dusty pages at the back of the leather bound book and then spoke.

"Practical page 356, partners are the person sitting next to you"

I turned to face Pansy Parkinson who had just sat down next to me and I felt like screaming. She shuffled over towards me and rested her black curtain of hair in the crook of my neck as she whispered in my ear.

"How's my Draceykins?"

I hated it when she did that, she made me feel like a lap dog or something it was so annoying.

I managed to get away with not answering her question and just walked over to the work benches and gathered the necessary ingredients together.

Sadly Pansy soon joined me at the bench and just started to fiddle with certain bits of the rat's before slinging them away in disgust.

"So Dracey how are you? It feels like I haven't spoken to in ages"

I looked up at her through a hooded gaze, Pansy had spoken to me about a week ago, which was along time for her but it felt like this morning to me. She had that affect on people.

"Yeah fine thanks"

I was desperately trying to look like I was really busy and concentrating very hard so she may not bombard me with anymore questions in that lovey dovey kind of talk.

But really my mind was fixed on Hermione and what she was thinking, I mean she must be scared that at the end of the lesson Snaoe will ask her to stay behind again.

After successfully completing about two thirds of the practical I was just watching it simmer under the roaring flame.

Of course Pansy had done absolutely nothing but I didn't care my mid was elsewhere. It was nearing the end of the lesson and worry was starting to paint a shadow across Hermione's face.

I stirred the gooey mixture every now and then so it would become thinner. The only Pansy had done was add double the amount needed of mandrake's blood, trust her the only thing that she had done was the only thing that had been done wrong.

As the lesson drew to a close Hermione had started to get fidgety. I had just finished washing out the cauldron and putting it back in the cupboard.

Everyone was seated in their places and Snape was summarising what we had done and the results of our practical.

The bell was echoing through the room and ringing in my ears. I looked at Hermione she was already gathering her books and preparing to make a quick exit but then.

"Miss Granger I would like to follow up from yesterday please stay behind"

I didn't even wait to look at her face I just said it.

"Granger can't today she was told off for being late for Professor McGonagall the other day and she asked me to make sure she got there on time."

Hermione's face watched Snape's and the shadow of fear turned to light as she he nodded. She looked at me so thankfully and gave me something she had never given me before. a smile. It lit up her whole face and made me feel at ease.

I followed her out of the classroom and she whispered something in my ear before she ran off in the other direction.

"Tonight the astronomy tower."

I smiled after her as she ran off in the other direction and I was looking forward to seeing her this evening.

I had arrived at the astronomy tower about 15 minutes early just in case she was already there. I paced around the room and gazed across the school. The trees were waltzing in the breeze, The dark shade of sapphire that painted the lake looked like a silk cloak swaying from side to side in the wind, as the water rippled.

Moments later Hermione arrived. I was still leaning over the balcony when she did.

"Draco?"

I loved the fact that she called me Draco and not Malfoy, I don't think she had ever done that before. Maybe she had finally picked up on the fact that I always called her Hermione and never Granger or mudblood.

I strode over to her side and looked into her chestnut orbs, but they weren't just brown they were all the colours of Autumn; browns, golds and auburns.

"Hermione what is going on, you can't just let this happen"

She looked down at the floor, I cradled her chin in my hand and tilted her gaze back up towards me. She looked at me but did't say anything about my previous action.

"I can't tell anyone, you're not supposed to know, no one is. I'm trapped and I can't get out"

Her tone was hesitant as if she was thinking before every word whether to say it or not.

"You're not trapped you're just stuck and you need to get out and fast."

Her eyebrows furrowed together in a serious gaze that said, it obviously isn't as simple as that

"It's not as simple as that Snape tricked Dumbledore into thinking that he really was good and that he was no longer a death eater, but that isn't true he has threatened to tell Voldermort where Harry and Ron are because he was supposedly trusted to always know their location.

"Hermione, if you tell a teacher they can sort it out they can do something about it"

Hermione was getting frustrated and it was visible on her face, she was pursing her lips and breathing heavily.

"No, that's not all! He has dragged my parents into this, if I tell anyone and he finds out about it then my parents will be added to the long list of people that have been murdered by Voldermort."

I didn't no what to say to this, she sure was in a difficult situation and I was just as close to coming up as a solution as Hermione was.

There might not be anything we can do at the moment but I won't let you be left alone with him not once, I promise.

"Draco why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? It's like you're a a different person."

I wondered if I should tell her I decided it would make everything easier if she knew.

"I never wanted to be a death eater and follow in my Father's footsteps. There is a prophesy that my Father knew about that foretold my destiny, he destroyed it before could see the end, I can't tell you what I saw, But it was never my choice to be so awful to you, never!"

She looked very confused but also relieved. She was probably glad that I wasn't creating a facade of concern for an ulterior motive.

"But.. but it doesn't make any sense?"

She would just have to trust me way more than I trusted myself around her, I had to make her believe me.

"anyway you can't deal with this on your own Hermione you shouldn't be on your own"

She began to hold back tears, I held her hand in mine and pressed her palm into my grasp.

"Harry and Ron are off searching and I am not allowed to get into contact with them due to all of Voldermort's spy's intercepting the post. Ginny wasn't allowed to come back after the Summer, I only got to spend the last week with her at the Burrow. It's like I'm stuck and no one even turns around. No one is there to catch me when I fall!"

With that she turned around and headed towards the steps leading back down from the astronomy tower. But the carpet had hitched up at the edge and she tripped over and fell backwards. I quickly broke her fall in my arms and preventing her from hitting the hard floor. She stared at me in shock.

"I'll always be there to catch you when you fall"

She smiled up at me, the same smile that she gave me at the end of potions"

She ran her hand though my platinum her and I bent my head down towards her rose lips. I pressed my lips gently against hers waiting for her to confirm it was ok with a response. Then she joined her lips with mine and we collided in a heat and passion filled embrace. I had never felt anything like it before, it felt so right and so good, I wasn't letting her go.

Snape's POV

I twisted away from the view of Hermione and Draco and rushed down the steps of the astronomy tower my jet robes billowing back around the spiral steps as a made my way downstairs. I was going to have to keep an eye on her very closely and if anything else happened Lucius would have to be informed that the prophesy start of the prophesy had begun...

_**Next chapter will be up soon. Reviews would be extremely appreciated whether it be good or bad. :D**_


	4. Prophesy Revealed

Snape's POV

I was inside Malfoy Manner waiting for Lucius to make an appearance. The fire light was flickering and I saw Lucius' shadow in the doorway.

His molten orbs looked ominous as they penetrated into me. I may try to have the same domina as him when addressing people below me, but Lucius just about had the edge.

"What is it?"

There was now tone of friendliness's in his voice, it was pure disappointment.

"Something has happened"

"You mean you let something happen?"

He was being extremely unfair but I wouldn't dare contradict him

"Well the prophesy had begun"

His face began to explode, he threw his glass of firewhisky into the fire and it made an aggressive roar in my direction which caused me to back away from the fire in its burning rage of heat.

"Did Draco find out what was going on with you and that mudblood girl?"

He was so angry his eyes said more than words, he made everyone seem about two inches tall when he was around.

"Yes"

His hand buckled into a tight fist in an effort to restrain his fury. Luckily he stayed in the doorway.

"How could you be so fucking stupid?"

I tried to sustain my composure but he was making it extremely difficult

"I don't know how he found out there was no time he could have done!"

Lucius rolled his eyes in surprise.

"Of course he was going to find out because I engaged you with the task!"

I wanted to defend myself but knew Lucius was to influenced with Voldermort to question anything he said or did in regard to the destruction of Harry Potter and anything he needed to fulfill that. But I knew full well this had nothing to do with Harry Potter.

"You have absolutely no idea what you have allowed to happen!"

"Well maybe I would if you actually told me what was going on, because it is obvious that this isn't one of your normal kniving schemes."

He clenched his teeth and his thoughts of contemplation ran across his face. After about a minute he subsided to my request and gestured me towards his study.

As I entered the room I saw a pensive in the corner, dancing with the translucent whispers of his memories.

"So tell me what is going on!"

He shot me a furious glance as if to stay you have over stepped the mark in your curiosity.

"It's not something I can tell you it's something I have to show you"

It was obvious that he was going to show me a memory and he backed me over towards the glistening sphere of light swimming inside the marble curvature of the pensive.

"What you see in this room tonight is under no circumstances to be mentioned to anyone other than myself!"

I simply nodded not wanting waste any more time. I immersed my eyes in the silvery liquid and witnessed the memory that was aggravating Lucius so very much.

I saw Draco's arms entwined around a woman but I couldn't see her face, there was a Serpent and a Lion melted together as one and then there was a child. The child's face was the mirror image of Draco and had the exact same eyes as someone I knew but I couldn't figure out who.

Suddenly a voice began to speak

_"When a child is born of Serpent and Lion in an age of war, a new labyrinth of prophesies shall be formed. The triad of befriended enemies shall vanquish the age of darkness before the consumption of light is complete. A world of equality where all bloods are the same, an age of new birth._

I saw The face of the woman and I new who it was, it was Hermione and she had born Draco's child and Voldermort was defeated.

I came back to the surface and joined my eyes with Lucius' once more.

"You don't mean to say that..."

He broke me off and he was now extremely worried at my heir of concern for the situation.

"Yes, that filthy mudblood is going to bare a child of my blood and it will form a new age. Where Voldermort and his and any right minded person's values are deceased."

I looked to the ground, nothing I could have possibly imagined was as worse as this scenario. I looked towards Lucius as he began to speak.

"This child can never be born, I hope you realize that Severus. Whatever you have to do to prevent the outcome you must do"

I nodded and turned back towards the fireplace in the other room before I vanished in a cloud of emerald smoke as I tossed the floo powder in the flames.

...

Draco's POV

I was elated. Hermione trusted me, she had let me in and as far as I knew she felt the same for me as I felt for her. Nothing was going to come between us.

Snape had not requested her to stay behind after any potions lesson for about a month and Hermione would have told me if anything else had happened.

But there was one thing I was slightly concerned about regarding Hermione. Lately she had been suddenly running out of the Great Hall in the morning and this morning it had happened for the third time. It was time to find out what was going on.

I awoke early and contented the next morning eager to find out what was going on with her.

I strutted into the Great Hall and took a seat at the Slytherin table and piled a few things onto my plate. My eyes quickly flew around the room and I spotted Hermione. She wasn't eating and moments later she had risen from her seat and was making a quick exit via Giant oak door separating the Great Hall from the entrance hall.

I was determined to find out what was going on but not wanting to raise any suspicion I waited a few minutes before leaving after her. I stood in the entrance hall wondering where she had gone and then I heard a bang coming from inside Myrtle's bathroom.

I rushed in through the door and to my horror found her lying huddled over one of the neglected toilets. It was obvious she had been sick and I was worried.

I knelt down at her side and propped her up against my chest, I slightly tapped her across the face in an effort to bring her round. But it was useless.

What the hell had happened to her and then it hit me Hermione had been being sick in the morning for just under a week and she and Snape. I clapped my hand to my mouth.

I was hoping with all my heart that my assumptions were incorrect but I knew I was going to have to find out for sure, if she was.

I ran my hand inside my pocket and retrieved my wand, I raised it just above her stomach.

"aprehendum"

I closed my eyes in anticipation of the result. I feared the worst and it was, the tip of my one was glowing blue. Hermione was pregnant.

But the hardest part would be to tell her if she didn't already know, it would be the hardest thing in the world I knew it would ruin her life.

She began to tense in my arms and she lent forward and spluttered out a few raspy coughs.

"Hermione are you ok?"

She smiled up at me in a vulnerable manner, how could I destroy her when she was just starting to recover from the crushing events of the last few months.

"Hermione do you know?"

She looked up at me in fear of my foreboding voice.

"Know what?

"Hermione you're pregnant"

Her face in shock and complete and utter desperation, I felt more sorry for her more than words could express. She cupped her forehead in her sweaty palms before she looked up at me. I didn't now what to say to her to make her feel any better, I don't think there's anything I could have said.

"I thought I was, I just didn't want to believe it and I couldn't even contemplate what I would do if I found out."

Tears began to stream over the reddened rim of her eyes. I held her close to me and pressed my lips on the top of her head, trying to show my sympathy and devotion to her.

"What am I going to do Draco?"

I didn't know how to answer her question because I didn't know how to resolve the situation myself, but I really didn't want to unnerve her by a negative response.

"Everything is going to be fine!"

I tried to convey reassurance and confidence in my answer, but underneath that facade I had no idea what we were going to do about this. But I just hoped that before anything would become noticeable one of us would be able to come up with a solution.

"How is it going to be fine? I am pregnant with Snape's child I might as well be dead, my life will be destroyed by this."

"You shouldn't ever say that I want you to carry on living for you are worth more to me than you will ever know"

Her face softened at my loving words. She pressed her lips firmly against mine and wrapped her hands around my neck. I pulled away for a moment and whispered in her ear.

"You give me something worth living for"

...

Two weeks later.

Me and Hermione had been meeting up with each other for about two weeks now and she had decided it was best not to tell anyone and I agreed with her. This would best be left concealed from everyone else.

I had been wondering what we were actually going to do when it was going to become visibly noticeable to everyone else. I knew it had been overtaking Hermione mind as well. I couldn't even begin to understand what she was going through but I was trying, and I wanted to be there for her.

I was sitting with her in an old classroom in a part of the castle anyone rarley ventured into. One of my hands was rested over her stomach and the other was in her hand.

"Hermione what am I going to do? I mean I think it is becoming slightly more noticeable"

I looked down at her stomach and seeing as her t-shirt was reasonably well fitted I could tell if her beliefs were true or not. To be honest it wouldn't really be evident to anyone who wasn't looking for it, like I was.

"Hermione I don't think you need to worry about that just yet I mean it's not even really noticeable."

She smiled weakly at my positive response. I squeezed my hand slightly tighter for just a moment.

"It's getting late I think I should be heading back now I'm feeling tired."

I jumped up almost immediately and helped her to her feet. We walked up through the dark winding passages not lighting our way considering we weren't supposed to be out of bed at this time of the night.

We reached the folk in the corridor, one which led to the Slytherin common room and the other which led to Gryffindor she disappeared into the darkness and was seized into the clutches of the night.

Four or five months had gone by since I found out about the pregnancy and it was now starting to get much more noticeable. I had arranged to meet up with her in the astronomy tower because she knew that we were going to have to do something about it.

I was waiting up in the astronomy tower at about half eleven at night and there was a cold breeze worming its way through me. I lent against the railings of the balcony that overlooked the grounds of Hogwarts, everything in view seemed dormant when I looked at it under the watch of the stars.

"Draco?"

I turned to see Hermione standing next to me she was wearing a huge sweater in an effort to hide the rapid increasing size of her stomach.

For the first time in months I saw a genuine smile spread across her lips.

"I know there are more important things for me to be worrying about but the baby kicked today for the first time"

I was glad to see she was trying to stay positive but I could still see terror in her eyes and I knew she was just trying to put a brave face on it but inside she was falling apart, but I knew now wasn't the time to be pessimistic.

I smiled at her and she put my hand on her stomach. Although she was happy I still saw her wiping away the tears of fear waltzing across her cheeks.

Snape's POV

I knew what I had to do I had seen and heard the proof I needed Hermione was pregnant with Draco's child and now I had to do something drastic to stop this.

**Ok so Snape thinks his child is actually Draco's what lengths will he go to and what will Lucius do when he finds out what Snape has done. Ok next chapter will be up soon please please review whether it be good or bad both would still be much appreciated. :D**


	5. Big mistake

Snape's POV

I decided that I wasn't even going to tell Lucius about this I was just going to deal with it myself.

I was pacing up and down my gloomy study and thinking what I would have to do, The many possibilities ran through my mind but in the end there was only one thing I could do.

Hermione's POV

I was running my slim fingers over the increasing curve of my stomach picturing how much my life was going to change.

I had been putting a brave face on it but really I was being torn apart inside, I didn't want Draco to find that out though if he didn't already know.

I had been wearing over sized and baggy jumpers in order to conceal it but soon that wouldn't work and I hadn't come up with any ideas what we were going to do.

I gazed over at the antique clock every second seemed to last a year for me, I jumped up and grabbed my wand remembering that I was supposed to be meeting Draco.

I hastily descended the endless flights of unpredictable staircase not wanting to be late. I was walking along a dark and gloomy corridor that was rarely occupied by others so I continued not wanting to be caught out of bed after hours.

The faces in the portraites seemed like memories their faces seemed almost translucent. They were actually beginning to scare me a bit so I carried on walking.

This corridor seemed to go on forever there were no bends of turns just a straight forward. I could have used my wand to make it easier to see but that would pose too much of a risk of getting caught.

I froze hearing footsteps behind me, I started to walk faster in an attempt of not being caught. I suddenly felt a stabbing pain in my stomach and I had to slow down.

Praying that whoever it was wasn't going to carry on straight ahead but the footsteps continued. I tried to start walking again but the pain in my stomach was too great.

Moments later the steps were just moments away then something happened the worst possible outcome.

I felt his hand snake their way around my neck and he whispered in my ear.

"Hello Hermione"

It was Snape his voice sounded cruel and ominous. I struggled to break away but his iron grasp held me firmly in place.

Then I felt his wand running over my forehead and down my neck, I tried to screamed but he had place his hand over my mouth.

I then felt the tip of his wand reach my stomach and I knew that he must have found out. I tried desperately to break free once again but it was to no avail.

But what he said next shocked me the most

"Did you really think that you could carry on Malfoy's bloodline, a worthless mudblood?"

What the hell he thought it was Draco's child I tried to shout the words through his forceful hand but they just came out as a few barley audible murmurs.

His wand started to dig further into my stomach it was almost beginning to feel painful but nowhere near as painful as what I was about to endure.

"Sceptum Sempra!"

I fell to the ground in excruciating pain with blood pouring around me. I couldn't scream, I couldn't think I just felt.

Draco's POV.

I was getting slightly concerned now she was 20 minutes late and Hermione was never late for anything, I decided to go and look for her.

I wondered around a few passages searching for her and in a few empty classrooms but she was nowhere to be found.

I started walking up the dark long corridor that she would have had to come down in order to get to the classroom we were meeting in.

So far she was nowhere to be found but I continued up the linear passage. It was dark and I couldn't see much but it was light enough to see Hermione if she was there.

Then lying on the floor was Hermione's wand, something untoward must have happened because she would never leave her wand lying around.

I carried on up the corridor hoping that I would see something else that would give me a clue to what had happened to her, but nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to find.

I saw her body swimming in blood, her blood. I rushed to her side and knelt next to her. I grabbed her wand from inside my pocket and muttered the spell Snape had performed when Harry Potter had inflicted me with that spell.

"Aluveroi"

Her blood slowly began to sink back into her body, but she had still lost something more than blood, the baby.

I knew she was far to badly hurt to not take her to the hospital wing. I put her arm about my neck and lifted her into my arms. My clothes were bloodstained and I was worried Madame Pomferey might start bombarding me with questions that I simply couldn't answer.

She wighed hardly anything in my arms and she was so limp, it required barley any effort to carry her up the numerous flights of stairs and luckily we didn't run into any teachers on the way.

We reached the glass doors of the hospital wing and I pushed my way in with my foot.

"Madame Pomferey!"

I heard a sudden bustling from behind a screen and she came towards me with a very suspicious look on her face, she obviously thought that whatever had happened to Hermione that it was my fault.

"What have you done to her Malfoy?"

I layed her down on the bed that she was gesturing me towards.

"I haven't done anything I was in one of the corridors and I heard taps running from inside one of the bathrooms so I went in and found her like that."

That was my best attempt at thinking on my feet, I tried to come across as if I wasn't overly concerned but I was terrified of the moment she awoke.

"Perhaps she slipped and hit her head on one of the sinks."

She was still looking rather uncertain about my version of events and she was probably still thinking that I was the culprit in all of this. But I couldn't tell her what was really going on so I was just going to have to put up with it, no matter how much it hurt.

"I think you should go !"

I had to stop myself before I responded because I knew she would be even more suspicious if I asked to stay.

"um... alright"

As I left I saw Madame Pomferey taking away her bloodstained top and leaving her stomach exposed, there was no baby anymore.

The walk back to my dorm was one of the longest walks in my life, I knew I had to be there when she woke up she couldn't discover what had happened on her own. Although it was Snape's child it was also Hermione's and it wasn't going to hurt any less.

Snape's POV

It had been a while since I had last met with Lucius and I was keen to tell him what I had done. Just like the last time I was patiently waiting next to the fire. It wasn't long before Lucius made an appearance.

"What is it Snape?"

I smiled slightly at his displeased tone knowing that he was going to be delighted once I had told him of the recent events.

"Well Lucius lets just say I don't think you will have to worry about that child being born any longer."

He didn't really smile put the corners of his lips turned upwards. Anyway that was really the equivalent of a smile for Lucius.

"You mean you disposed of it?"

"Yes it's not going to be a problem anymore Hermione Granger is no longer carrying Draco's child!"

He stood up straight and to a large swig of his drink.

"You have done well Severus."

I nodded in appreciation of his gratitude.

"Just keep an eye on the both of them I don't want my son mixing with dirty blood like hers"

I nodded and left not wanting to strike up conversation I had completed what he had asked me to do and that was more than enough.

Draco's POV

It had been two days since I brought Hermione up to the hospital wing and every night I had come inside and tried to find out whether she had woken up yet.

I was hoping tonight she would have come round I needed to be with her when she woke up there was no question about it.

It was getting late and I decided I couldn't wait any longer I rushed up the stairs to the hospital wing and quietly crept in through the doors. Luckily Madame Pomferey wasn't there and there were no other people in the hospital wing.

As I approached the bed where Hermione resided I heard her crying. She was already awake and she had found out what had happened.

"Hermione?"

She turned round slightly alarmed. She looked broken, and completely torn apart.

"Draco"

I had never seen anyone so distraught and she had good reason to be.

"Hermione I am so sorry"

I lay next to her on the narrow bed and held her close to me trying to tell her that she wasn't alone.

"I lost it"

She sobbed into the pillow. I didn't think anything was going to make her feel better at this point in time I just pressed her firmly against me and said.

"I know"

I kissed the top of her head and lay my hands over her now flat stomach. I knew who had done this who else could it have been but Snape, his own child.

"Draco he said something to me, Snape did before he left me in the corridor."

I looked at her knwing it must me something of significance seeing as if she was bothered about anything he had said at a time like this.

"He said did you really think you could carry Malfoy's bloodline, he thought the child was yours"

I looked at the ground in confusion,

"why would he think that and if he didn't think it was his, why would he do this to you?"

"I don't know"

Something else was going on here and I was determined to find out what it was, and I think I knew who was behind this and it wasn't Snape. If my Father he would pay dearly for what he had done.

I knew at that moment that I loved her and would do anything to protect her and make her happy.

"Hermione,"

She looked up at me through half closed lids.

"I love you"

At that moment a veil of sorrow was lifted from her face and she looked straight back at me.

"I love you too"

That night she slept in my arms and out of danger. I was afraid because I knew that my Father knew about the beginning of the prophesy, but we had an advantage he had made a huge mistake.


	6. Only the beginning

Draco's POV

I woke up very early the next morning with the moonlight still flooding the darkened room. I was thankful for this because it meant that I would be able to leave the hospital wing before Madame Pomferey returned.

I leaned over Hermione and saw her eyes closed and her breathing was heavy underneath my body. I tucked back a strand of hair behind her ear and kissed her bruised cheek.

I rose from the bed and stretched before making my way back to the Slytherin common room. I didn't want to leave her, every time I did it was so hard to tear myself away. I quickly ran down the stairs and towards the Slytherin common room.

I muttered the password and entered. I walked into the empty room and saw the embers of the fire dancing up away from the flames in spiralls of heat. I sat down in one of the plush emerald couches and began to think.

It was clear that my Father was far more involved in this situation than Snape was, If only I had seen the end of the prophecy then everything would be so much clearer to figure out.

Anyway why was Snape getting involved and why did he think that Hermione was pregnant with my child? What would Snape do if he found out he had killed his own unborn child. I knew he couldn't find out though, my father had obviously infiltrated Snape and I wasn't going to let either of them know who's baby Snape had actually killed.

I was thinking about so many things my mind began to slowly turn blank, I closed my eyes for just a moment but I didn't wake up after that I fell asleep.

Hermione's POV

I awoke to find that Draco had already left I propped me arm underneath my neck and lent up slightly. I fell back as the pain was still too great to put any pressure on any part of my body.

I just lay there, with nothing else to do but think. What was I going to do? I would have to come face to face with Snape at some point and I didn't know how I was going to deal with it. How was I ever going to go back to how things were everything was falling apart and the only thing holding me together was Draco.

Draco's POV

I was in my room sitting on my bed when I heard a scratching at the window, I saw an owl clawing away at the glass with it's talons.I unhooked the latch and retrieved the letter clutched in it's pointed beak.

The owl flew away into the distance and I closed the window and went to sit back down on the bed and unfolded the tattered piece of parchment.

'_Draco I am out of the hospital wing today I need to talk to you, love Hermione.'_

I didn't have to think hard before I realised what she wanted to talk to me about, she wanted to know why Snape thought that it was my child and she obviously knew that I knew something about it.

I wanted to see her, I needed to see a face that I could trust even though that face might be doubting me.

I thought that she would probably be in the same classroom we had met in before so I picked up my wand and headed towards the classroom. I went down several corridors until I came to the one where I had found Hermione a few days earlier.

I slowly walked further up the gloomy passage until I actually saw Hermione standing in front of me, she was looking down at the floor, I noticed that there was a small bloodstain on the stone floor.

I closely behind her and saw a single tear sliding down her cheek.

"Hermione are you ok?"

She didn't speak for a few moments she seemed almost dormant, she didn't even blink.

"I just think I need to get past this and I need to come to terms with what happened."

I knew there wasn't really anything I could do to make her feel any better so I just slipped my hand into hers and held onto it tightly for about 2 minutes.

Hermione then proceeded up the corridor and into the classroom. She approached one of the battered wooden desks and perched on the edge of it still looking extremely suspicious.

"I know you know something so you might as well tell me because I think I deserve to know"

How could I really tell her what she was involved in when I didn't really know myself, if she knew about the prophecy it may make things much easier or much harder. I was slowly melting under her intense gaze before I plucked up enough courage to try and explain to her what was going on.

"Look Hermione, just before the start of term this year I discovered something in my Father's possession that I wasn't supposed to know about."

Hermione nodded so I continued.

"Well the object that I found was a prophecy with my name engraved on the base. I saw what the prophecy foretold Hermione, but not all of it. My Father came in and destroyed it before I could see the ending."

She looked confused and her eyebrows were slowly knitting together in frustration that for once she actually couldn't understand something.

"I don't understand, what has any of this got to do with me?"

I took a deep breath knowing that what I had to say next would explain the majority of recent events.

"There was a woman and she was pressed tightly by my side and in her arms there was a baby, my baby. I couldn't actually see the woman's face it was destroyed before I could. But there is much more I just didn't witness the ending. Hermione, I think that woman was you."

Her face was contorted in shock, confusion and absolute disbelief. I put a hand on her shoulder to try and alert a response.

"But I don't understand, why would this prophecy explain what has been happening to me over these past months and do you mean to say that you and I are going to have a... child?"

I didn't really understand why there was such a problem with this baby, my Father wouldn't go to all these lengths just to make sure that me and her didn't have a child together. There was so much more going on.

"Hermione, I can't predict the future but there is so much more going on here than I can understand and I think that you are part of this, but I really can't tell you what it is"

I could see that she didn't really have any idea what was going on or what I was trying to explain to her but I had done my best.

"Hermione, you must know by now that I love you."

She looked up at me through half closed lids with her dark eye lashes concealing the expression convey in her eyes.

"I love you too, but I am really scared."

I could see the same fear in her eyes when she looked directly at me and I went to her side. I pressed myself against her and lifted her slightly bowed chin.

"Whatever happens in the future should not control out lives today, just know that I would never let anyone hurt you."

I felt her smile against my cheek and I ran my hand through her mahogany hair. She smelt of vanilla and nutmeg. I kissed gently down the line of her neck over each of her cuts and bruises.

"Neither of us know what is really going on, so how can you know what to protect me from, and besides I can take care of myself."

I loved her vivacious character that was evident even in a time of such distress. I knew she could take care of herself but I knew that she also had a tendency to be slightly careless and careless was not a good trait to be burdened with in a situation such as this one.

"I know you can take care of yourself, but I want to take care of you, I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you and that there was something I could have done to prevent it."

She ghosted her lips over mine in an almost non existent kiss. I looked down at her, she looked so beautiful her eyes were chocolate with ribbons of gold rippling though them and her lips were a deep scarlet and her skin was soft ivory.

She then clutched my hand in hers and rested it on her heart, I was surprised my her actions seeing as my hand now rested upon her chest.

"Draco, my heart is yours but my choices are my own, I know you think I can be careless at times and I know I am too but I need to make mistakes to learn from them. I know you don't want anything bad to happen to me but trust me I can look after myself,"

She could read me just as well as any of the other hundreds of books she had already read. She knew I had already accepted what she had said with my eyes. I pressed my lips firmly against hers and tangles my hand in her locks of brown hair.

Her lips parted for a moment and my tongue collided with hers in a gentle battle for dominance. Her hands rested on my hips and she moaned as my hands snaked their way up her sides.

As my hands ran further up her body the strap of her top fell off her shoulder and I stopped what I was doing instantly. She looked at me questioning why I had stopped with her curious gaze.

"Hermione your still hurt and your not well, I don't want to hurt you."

"Draco you wont, I want to forget about what happened before and share this experience with you."

I knew she wasn't going to give in and it's not like I didn't want to, she was beautiful. I could understand why she want to forget about her first experience.

I was careful not to put any pressure on her, knowing that it would probably hurt her and she wouldn't tell me if it had so I wouldn't feel bad.

Her hands ran around my back and under my shirt, I paused in my actions and pulled the black shirt over my head and sank back into our kiss.

The palms of her hands were warm and they were resting on the line of my chest. I brought my hands back up to her and pushed the other strap of her top aside and pulled it down to her waist. Her hair was fanned out on the desk beneath her and she was leaning against the hard wood of the bench she must have been extremely uncomfortable.

I cupped my hand beneath the curve of her back and lifted her up to set her down on the soft rug that lay by the fire. Her fingers were tangled in my platinum hair and she was breathing heavily.

My hands rested on her tiny waist and I noticed the small scar were the baby had once been, knowing she would still be extremely sensitive I decided to ignore it by not drawing any attention to it.

I held her close to me in my arms not wanting her to be subject to the hard stone floor even if there was a rug between her and it. I hooked my hand around the the clasp of her bra and then tossed it to the side.

I layed my hand on her thigh and stroked my other hand over her chest. Her head fell back and she let out a slight moan. The shadows cast by the firelight flickered across her pale skin in dark shades. The smell of smoke swam through the air from the burning embers of the fire.

I looked down her delicate form and melted against her into a passionate embrace filled with lust, pleasure and passion. Little did I know this was the start of something much bigger than out relationship.

Snape's POV

I sat back in the plush brown leather of my chair and sipped at my fire whisky through pursed lips. I was thinking about the events of the past few months, suddenly I began to feel rather restless with nothing to do but think.

I rose from my seat and wondered out of my office and into one of the dark corridors pacing up and down trying to refresh myself. I noticed a few murmurs coming from a nearby classroom. I couldn't really be bothered to prevent students from getting laid. I heard familiar voices though and I stepped closer to the door to try and make their words audible.

I recognised their voices almost instantly, the cool reserve of Draco Malfoy and the warm vulnerable tone of Hermione Granger. This was an opportunity to listen in on what had been going on and if it contained any significance to report back to Lucius.

The voices were still slightly muffled but I could just about make out the words.

"So that is why he thought his baby was your baby when he killed it."

"I think so but I can't be certain, are you sure you are ok talking about this?"

"After that, I am ok with anything. I know it will take me a while to get over but I don't want it to dominate all my happy times."

I felt sick to my very soul, I felt every hint of composure slowly breaking and I threw the glass down on the floor causing it to shatter and the burning liquid spill across the granite floor.

I felt like breaking that girl's neck, she had let me kill my own child she was going to pay very dearly for this. I had murdered my own child and she had let me, she should have told me beforehand.

I would also have a job informing Lucius that I hadn't actually eliminated the possibility of the prophecy being fulfilled, in fact with hardly any time devoted to keeping an eye on what was going on between the two of them I had probably increase the chance of it being fulfilled.

I knew Lucius was going to be furious and that he was going to go to desperate measures to separate the two of them, I was going to help him Hermione hadn't even experienced the beginning of what was coming her way.

**Ok so that's the end of that chapter hope you enjoyed it please please review good or bad I love hearing your opinion.**


	7. love's Ultimatum

Snape's POV

pacing up and down trying to think of how Lucius would react to my recent enlightenment on the current situation. I didn't really want to go to Malfoy Manor and face him personally, no I would have to come up with something else.

Maybe it would be better to write him a letter, I wouldn't have to be belittled and confronted by him once again. I sat in my chair and scraped the wooden legs up, in underneath the desk. I plucked my quill from the bottle of ink that it resided in and scratched the nib into motion.

To be honest I didn't care what happened to Granger now, not that I ever really did before. Lucius would receive the letter by this time tomorrow and he would probably want to speak with me afterwards, but this was a way of prolonging it as much as possible.

I was so furious about what she had let me do, I felt like killing her here and now. Whatever evil scheme Lucius would inevitably plot I was willing to assist him in anyway I could. She could rot in hell for all I cared.

I took a swig of fire whisky from the now nearly empty bottle and downed the rest of it, hoping it would also suppress my rage.

Draco's POV

I awoke in the same classroom I had fallen asleep in last night, stretching my arm out to the side, expecting Hermione to be next to me. Instead of her body underneath my palm I felt a piece of paper already opened spread across where she had originally been.

I propped myself up enabling myself to read what the paper said, 'Last night was amazing but I really had to go, I hope I see you soon'

I was slightly disappointed at the fact that I didn't get to awake to find her next to me, anyway I would see her again soon. I hoped that this was the conclusion to all her troubles, but I couldn't help feeling that it wasn't.

I pulled my shirt over my shoulders and hooked each button back inside the holes and after getting fully dressed I left the room to just go and make sure Hermione did get back ok after all.

Snape's POV

There was a scratching sound at the window, I got up to see where it was coming from. As I reached the window I saw an ivory coloured owl with a letter clutched in its talons.

Once I had retrieved the letter and noticed that it bore the Malfoy's crest. How could he have replied so quickly I only sent my letter to him last night?

I pulled open the top of the letter with one swift movement of my knife and unfolded it's contents.

_'It is obvious Snape that you can be trusted with nothing in matters of importance. I have decided to take this into my own hands now you have proved yourself irrelevant. I wrote to Draco in Hermione's hand and told him to meet her by the Weeping Willow at 11:30pm tonight. All I need you to do Snape is make sure Granger is there, I trust you can at least do that._

_Lucius Malfoy.'_

I tossed the letter into the fire and slumped back into my chair at the prospect of actually having to see Lucius today, but I knew whatever Lucius was going to do, it wouldn't be good news for Granger so I was definitely willing to assist him.

Hermione's POV

**Many hours later**

I needed to see Draco, I felt like I had to talk to him, even though he came and sat with me earlier. I grabbed my jacket which contained my wand and left the common room.

After travelling down numerous amounts of stairs I reached the entrance hall. I stood there for a minute just thinking about everything and nothing at the same time.

I was just about to turn the corner that would lead me to the Slytherin section of the castle, when a hand pressed firmly down over my mouth and dragged me out of a side door, then everything went dark.

Draco's POV

The room was dimly lit and I was contemplating whether to go and see Hermione or not, when I saw a blur of greys and blacks through the window out of the corner of my eye. I leapt up from my comfortable seat and saw a tawny owl waiting on the window ledge clutching a folded piece of paper.

The owl flew away into onyx sky once I had retrieved the letter which was obviously for me seeing as it had my name sprawled out across the front in messy handwriting, which somewhat resembled Hermione's untidy scrawl.

_Draco, meet me at the Weeping Willow tonight at 11:30. It's important._

_Love Hermione._

I was eager to see her and she wanted to me and it was important, so I jumped up and grabbed my coat.

I was curious as to why she wanted to meet me at the wamping willow, but I assumed it didn't really matter and continued out through the large doorway into the arctic night air.

The emerald carpet or grass that lay before me was glistening with silvery dew. There was a huge breath of wind that made me stand still for a moment or to so I could keep my balance.

I approached the jet black silhouette of the Weeping Willow as it waltzed from side to side in the wind. Why would Hermione want to meet out here, it was freezing and she had been really ill, something was a bit odd about this.

I couldn't see her when I reached the Weeping Willow but I could here some slightly muffled voices. I was now really quite concerned because I could here two very familiar voices.

"Hermione?"

Moments later two people emerged from behind the large trunk. I was holding my wand tightly underneath my coat, just in case. Then everything became visible. Snape stepped into the moonlight with one arm around Hermione's shoulder and the other had a knife pressed against a pale neck.

"Snape get off her!

I saw a sly grin creep across his thin lips as he simply shook his head.

"If you don't want her to die just yet then you will toss your wand over towards me and step towards your left."

I was petrified that he was going to kill Hermione anyway so I did what he said.

"Hermione are you ok?"

I saw snape nudge her waist and this caused her not to answer but I could see all her fear trapped in her eyes. I didn't know what to do or what was actually going on, but then an extremely familiar voice echoed through the air behind me.

"Well, well, well Draco... Just look what happens when you disobey me. tut tut tut."

I turned to see the cold, vacant face of my Father staring back at me. I knew everything that had been going on had been due to him.

"Leave Hermione alone you bastard!"

He began to pace around me much like a vulture, and that's exactly what he was. It was like he was saying everything he wanted to with his eyes. Words filled with malice and evil.

"Look Draco the situation really is quite simple, you agree to apparate back to Malfoy Manor with Hermione, Snape and myself or Hermione's life ends now."

I couldn't believe my own Father would do this to me, his own flesh and blood. There was no other option but to agree to his proposal so I nodded and grasped hold of my Father's arm. Just before Hogwarts dissolved into the whirl of colours and shapes I saw Hermione apparate as well.

There was a loud thud and a sudden ache as I landed on the cold, hard stone floor of Malfoy Mannor. I leapt to my unsteady feet to see where Hermione had got to. I saw her shoved into a small room by Snape as she fell hard on the floor, her face contorted in pain.

"Hermione!"

She didn't have time to answer because the door slammed shut and I lost site of her. What the hell was Snape going to do to her I had to get to her and stop him.

I ran towards the closed door but my Father stuck his foot out infront of me causing me to fall to the floor.

"Oh please Draco, don't make this so incredibly easy."

I could feel my rage pouring out of me, I could have killed him right now if I had the notion.

"What are you doing? Leave her out of this!"

"I'm afraid it's just not as simple as that Draco, you see you and her are part of something much bigger than a stupid little fling."

He must have been referring to the prophesy, but he knew I hadn't seen the ending so I assumed it would be revealed to me now.

"You see Draco, if you and that filthy mudblood.."

"Don't you dare call her that!"

He rolled his eyes sarcastically before he continued.

"If you and Granger have the child that was prophesised it will end the reign of the Dark Lord and mudbloods will be treated as equals. I will be tossed aside by society and bare no social rank what so ever. The Malfoy's reputation would be left in tatters and we would be welcomed nowhere by society of and significance. You Draco are making the situation very difficult, you refuse to give her up and I will not allow this baby to be brought into existence."

I couldn't belive what I was hearing, it was unbelievable. He was so bloody selfish anyway what was he trying to give me, an ultimatum? I hadn't heard any noise from the room where Hermione was, I didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned.

"I won't let you hurt her anymore, it's my life stop hurting and disrupting everything in it!"

"But it wont just be your life involved if the prophecy is fulfilled you see, this will be the real trio and Draco, I can't let that happen."

"Yeah but it's only your life you're worried about being affected!"

"Anyway what are you trying to say, are you giving me some kind of ultimatum?"

"I think you already know the answer to that question Draco!"

Just then I heard screams coming from the room next door, Hermione's screams, right then I knew what my Father was suggesting. I wasn't going to give her up no matter what.

I felt like dying when a second bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, how could I save her?

**_This chapter is a short one due to a broken bone, but the next one will be up very soon. Please please review good or bad your opinion is very much appreciated_**


	8. To Have You In My Arms Again

I couldn't bear it any longer, the pain was to deep, trapped in my heart. I would never forget Hermione's screams, not ever. Every high pitch that echoed through the air was like a million knives piercing my heart and all of my heart belonged to her.

I got up from the cold and hard granite floor and began to pace up and down. I had to figure out how to get out of here, I couldn't let Hermione endure any more pain. What was I supposed to do though? I had been locked up in this dark, dingy and cold room with absolutely no way out.

What made it worse was I had no concept of time. I had no idea how long I had actually been in here for, how long ago Hermione had been taken away from me or how long it would be before all of this was over.

I tried hard not to think about the pain Hermione was being subjected to right now, although the same pain, of a decreased magnitude was affecting me. Her pain was my pain, her thoughts were my thoughts and my heart belonged to her.

Just then I heard footsteps, I composed myself and stood up straight as the sound drew nearer. I leant back against the damp, mossy wall as I was a key turned in the lock and the handle twist.

Moments later Snape slid in through the door, being careful not to allow me enough of a gap in the door way to give me a chance to escape. His face accommodated an amused smirk as he stalked up and down the small breadth of the compact room.

"What do you want?"

My voice sounded low and husky and the words jolted of my tongue forcefully. He didn't answer straight away he held his reply in suspense until he finally drew his pacing to an end.

"Tut, tut Draco your Father wouldn't be pleased to learn of your abrupt manner towards me"

I felt my fists clench into my sweaty palms at the mention of my 'father'. I couldn't care less about Snape, he didn't bother me. I would speak to him however I wanted to.

"You know just as well as I that my Father doesn't have any fond regard for you, in fact he has told me on many occasions that your pandering is annoying and tiring. You are completely disposable to him, when he needs you, you are there and when he is finished with you, you simply fade into the background."

His facial expression did not alter but I could see I had hit a vulnerable spot. He just glared at me, his arctic gaze piercing mine. There were a million of insults he could have hurled at me, but he didn't need to, his eyes portrayed all the venom and malice that he did not express verbally.

I was beginning to tire of this conversation, Snape had obviously come to talk to me about something specific, and he was not the sort of person that did anything that did not serve a purpose.

"So, what have you come to tell me?"

The same amused smirk returned to his thin, pursed lips. I suddenly felt a lump in my throat; if Snape was pleased about something then most certainly wasn't good.

"I'm so glad you asked Draco, you see it's about your precious mudblood."

I felt all the muscles in my body tense when he referred to her as a mudblood. She was pure of heart and that was all that mattered.

"What about Hermione? If you dare touch her ever again Snape, I swear you will regret it"

He sighed deeply and his features occupied a contemplative expression as his onyx orbs bored into me.

"Oh but you see Draco you're locked up in here. How exactly do you propose any threat to me? I am willing to cooperate so I won't touch her again, I'll only use my wand."

He looked so smug and triumphant standing there washed in his façade of power, strength and courage, I felt like knocking him out, but I knew that wasn't a very good idea.

"Don't twist my words Snape! You know exactly what I meant, you were attempting to be smart and you have failed. Now let me out of here and I will reconsider hiring a hit man."

I knew this wouldn't work, but it was worth a shot anyway, I mean what other choices did I have?

"But you see Draco that is not really my decision and besides I am having a lot of fun with Granger, I am getting my revenge."

I didn't understand, was there something Hermione hadn't informed me of. Had something happened between her and Snape? What could she have possibly done to make him want to cause her this much pain?

"And what exactly has she done to you, to make you want revenge so much?"

I stared at him trying to work out his reasons for everything he had done over the past few months. Why did he do what he did? Why did he obey my Father's every command?

"I would have though _that_ was obvious. She murdered my child."

What the hell? He had killed the baby, he was the one that ambushed her in a dark corridor and murdered her child. No aspect of his statement was true.

"How can you say that? You were the one that left her to bleed to death in a corridor; you were the one that killed your own child!"

You would have though that these words would have caused someone immense pain and distress, anyone but him. He had no conscience all he had was emptiness, where there should have been a heart.

"Well then, we'll agree to disagree."

I was expecting an explanation for this outrageous accusation, but nothing. There was something else he was going to tell me, I could sense it.

"Now Draco moving onto more important matters. Your father has let me have my fun with her over these past few days, but now he is getting restless, he wants her gone."

I felt my whole body shake as I realised what he was insinuating. They couldn't kill her, they wouldn't. Snape would get the sack and my Father would be sent to Azkaban. I tried to convince myself that he was implying something else.

"What do you mean Snape?"

I saw he eyes glint at my apprehensive tone and he sighed deeply before speaking,

"well Draco I sure you have noticed that we have actually dried to dispose of Granger quite a few times now and you always seem to be in the way. Now you are out of the way and your Father isn't going to miss an opportunity like this one. I know what the prophesy is Draco and both you Father and I now that it isn't an option for that to become a reality."

I had feared the worst and I was correct to do so, I couldn't let his happen, not to her. She was the only girl I have ever loved. She was intelligent, funny, and vivacious, not forgetting she was exquisite. She had such a passion for life, a flame that would never go out. Now over the past few weeks that flame has begun to waver and now it was close to burning out completely.

"Snape you can't do this, you don't understand!"

I never though I would beg for anything in my life, never thought I would be the inferior of Snape, but now nothing mattered to me except Hermione.

"Oh I understand very well actually, but you don't seem to at the moment. You are blinded by passion and this will maintain your reputation, it will not destroy the Dark Lord and it will prevent any equality between mudbloods and purebloods from forming, you see Draco we are actually doing you a favour."

I didn't care about Voldemort or blood equality I just care about Hermione, and then I felt something building up inside me and then it spilled out,

"I love her!"

I couldn't really tell what Snape had made of this, had it affected him? Had it made the circumstances different?

"You don't know what love is."

I was surprised to hear some pain in his words, had I brought some of his memories and emotions to the surface? Was Snape hiding something?

"I don't care and neither does your Father, she dies and this is over!"

I had obviously struck a nerve; he had been enjoying the suspense up until now. I had bigger worries how was I going to save Hermione?

Right then I heard something that ended everything; all my fears were obliterated into an oblivion of determination. I heard Hermione scream my name, her voice weak and shaky as it echoed in through the slightly open door.

She needed me just as much as I needed her, I had a chance now. I saw Snape turn his head towards the open door in disgust and I seized my opportunity. I grabbed one of heavier rocks that were scattered across the floor and leaped to my feet.

I lunged at Snape and crashed the hard stone down, forcefully against his temple and he fell to the ground, now rendered unconscious. I didn't waist any time, I grabbed Snape's wand from his icy grasp and fled down the spiral flight of stone steps.

I ran through several hallways until I reached the place where I had last seen Hermione being pushed into the room where I know hoped I would find her.

I swung open the door and saw her, hands tied behind her back and lying across the floor. Her hair was drenched in her own blood and she was covered in deep cuts and bruises. What had they done to her?

I knelt to her side and gently pulled her towards me and rested her on my knees. Her eyes were closed, but she was not asleep, she was just frightened.

"Hermione?"

Her eyes slowly fluttered open apprehensively.

"Draco?"

She pressed herself against my chest and began to weep, her tears streaming down her muddy cheek.

"It's going to be ok, I've got you you're safe now."

**A/N: I know I haven't updated in a long time and I am sorry. It took me a really long time to work out what was going to happen yet and I have finally come to a decision, which will lead me to a much extended storyline. Please please review your opinion is always appreciated good or bad. **


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